About Frank Auerbach

Known for paintings marked by an immediately recognizable thick, nearly grotesque impasto, Frank Auerbach creates visceral, fluid works that capture the essence of a person or place. Sent to England to escape Nazism as a child, Auerbach rarely leaves Britain and has worked in the same London studio since the 1950s. The models he consults for his paintings have also remained constant, as he believes that familiarity results in a more beautiful and instinctive image. His models include Juliet Yardley Mills (“JYM”), Stella West (“EOW”), and Auerbach’s wife. While his style of painting appears expressionistic, it is grounded in realism and inspired by such artists as Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, and Titian. Auerbach completes each painting in a single sitting for maximum cohesion and interdependence and to ensure that each work is created while he is in a consistent state of mind.